West Side Story at the Fox this Friday & Saturday

The Spokane Symphony Special: West Side Story with Spokane Civic Theatre comes to the Martin Woldson Theater at the Fox, with two performances, this Friday & Saturday, April 20 & 21. Both shows are at 8pm. Morihiko Nakahara will conduct.

Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet is transported to New York City in the turbulent 60's as two young, idealistic lovers find themselves caught between warring street gangs - the 'American' Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks. Their struggle to survive in a world of hate, violence and prejudice unravels in one of the most innovative, heart-wrenching and relevant musical dramas of our time.

This production of West Side Story is a collaboration with the Spokane Civic Theatre and will feature guest stars directly from the New York stage. They include Matthew Hydzik as TONY and Cody Green as RIFF, both who performed these roles in the 2009 Broadway Revival of West Side Story. Joining them as ANITA is Eden Espinosa, whose Broadway credits include ELPHABA in Wicked and MAUREEN in Rent. MARIA will be portrayed by Mikaela Bennett, who debuted as a soloist with the New York Philharmonic singing excerpts from West Side Story and was a featured soloist in 'Bernstein on Broadway' at The Kennedy Center. Over 10 local performers will complete the cast.

Tickets available at the Box Office, or by calling 509-624-1200. They are also available online and at all TicketsWest outlets at www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-SEAT.

The 'Imagine' Jazz Festival begins tomorrow

This year's 'Imagine Jazz Festival runs from Thursday, April 19 through Sunday, April 25.

Workshops at Holy Names Music Center:
Saturday, April 21:
10am - Men of Rhythm history of Big Band 1930s-modern performance and masterclass
1pm - Brian Ploeger - Improvisation clinic 'Jazz as a Language'
3pm - Alison Poterack 'The Humanity Project' - Music for social change

Workshops at SFCC:
Tuesday, April 24:
5pm, 7pm - Clinics with members of the Willie Jones III Quintet

The Imagine Jazz Festival is envisioned by Rachel Bade-McMurphy and her group The Imagine Collective - and is presented with the support of The House of Soul and Holy Names Music Center. More information and tickets available at www.imaginejazz.org.

Custer's Annual Spring Antique & Collector's Sale April 20-22

Custer's 43rd Annual Spring Antique & Collector's Sale is this Friday through Sunday, April 20-22 at the Spokane Fair & Expo Center. This year's sale will bring dealers from across the northwest selling thousands of items. From rare to retro, items include mid-century, industrial, rustic, estate and costume jewelry, vintage clothing, furniture and much more.

Show hours are Friday 4-9pm; Saturday 10am-6pm; and Sunday 10am-4pm. Cost is $6 for adults, good all weekend. Kids 12 and under, free.

Nat Geo live at the INB April 25

National Geographic Live! Spinosaurus: Lost Giant of the Cretaceous is coming to the INB Performing Arts Center, Wednesday, April 25 at 7pm.

Spinosaurus is the largest predatory dinosaur to recently be discovered (larger than T-Rex) and was almost lost to science before Nizar Ibrahim, a remarkable young paleontologist, discovered this prehistoric giant. With amazing video and photography, Nizar will tell the story of the Spinosaurus discovery, loss, and rediscovery, and explain what (other than its size) makes this ancient monster unique.

Women & Children's Free Restaurant & Community Kitchen (WCFR) will hold its annual spring fundraiser this Saturday, April 21 from 11am-2pm at the Davenport Grand Hotel. Guests will be treated to a delicious four-course tea experience and a silent auction full of great packages.

The purpose of the event is to raise awareness and vital funding for WCFR programs. Women & Children's Free Restaurant is a vital safety net which fills nutritional gaps for women and children in need while fostering dignity and respect. For event tickets, visit www.springtea.org.

Halestorm + In This Moment Together coming to the Arena Aug 16

Halestorm will make a stop at the Spokane Arena on Thursday, August 16 for their highly anticipated milestone North American tour showcasing all female-fronted hard rock outfits. Co-headlining the tour with Halestorm is In This Moment and special guests New Years Day.
Widely acknowledged as one of the most vital and iconic bands in modern hard rock, Halestorm is currently continuing work on their hugely anticipated fourth studio album. In the meantime, the Grammy Award-winning band continues to celebrate the blockbuster success of their acclaimed third album, 'Into the Wild Life.'

Tickets will go on sale this Friday, April 20, 10am at the Spokane Arena Box Office, all TicketsWest Outlets, at www.ticketswest.com or 800-325-SEAT.

Heavy Metal double feature at Northern Quest

Dee Snider and Quiet Riot bring a double feature of American Heavy Metal to the stage of Northern Quest this Saturday, April 21 at 7:30pm.

It's an Urban Cowboy Reunion April 26 at CdA Casino

Together legendary honky-tonker Mickey Gilley, 'Lookin' for Love' hit maker Johnny Lee and chart-topper T.G. Sheppard make the Urban Cowboy Reunion. The trio will take the Coeur d'Alene Casino stage Thursday, April 26 at 7pm. Gilley opened Gilley's Club in 1971, a country landmark that continues to thrive today. Gilley began topping charts in the mid-'70s with hits including 'Room Full of Roses' and 'City Lights.' Gilley is joined by longtime friend and coworker Johnny Lee, who was given his first screen role in 1979's Urban Cowboy, which also featured several of his songs including 'Lookin' for Love.' Rounding out the trio is T.G. Sheppard, who brings an impressive 21 No. 1 hits including 'Last Cheaters Waltz' and 'Do You Wanna Go to Heaven.'

Entertainment Spokane! is an Ed Clark production.

For over 35 years Ed Clark has served the needs of Spokane area hospitality, restaurants and entertainment businesses in reaching greater audiences. Since 2002, Ed has delivered the Spokane “How’s Business?” e-mail newsletter that reaches nearly 6000 readers weekly.